PROJECT LEADERSHIP · Project success is usually expressed as having completed the project deliverables on time, within budget and to the required quality, but, from a leadership

PROJECT MANAGEMENT LEADERSHIP

BUILDING CREATIVE TEAMS

Second Edition

R o r y B u r k eS t e v e B a r r o n

PROJECT MANAGEMENT LEADERSHIP

Th is edition fi rst published 2014© 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd First edition published 2007 by Burke Publishing

Registered offi ceJohn Wiley & Sons Ltd, Th e Atrium, Southern Gate, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 8SQ, United Kingdom

For details of our global editorial offi ces, for customer services and for information about how to apply for permission to reuse the copyright material in this book please see our website at www.wiley.com.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, except as permitted by the UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, without the prior permission of the publisher.

Wiley publishes in a variety of print and electronic formats and by print-on-demand. Some material included with standard print versions of this book may not be included in e-books or in print-on-demand. If this book refers to media such as a CD or DVD that is not included in the version you purchased, you may download this material at http://booksupport.wiley.com. For more information about Wiley products, visit www.wiley.com.

Designations used by companies to distinguish their products are oft en claimed as trademarks. All brand names and product names used in this book are trade names, service marks, trademarks or registered trademarks of their respec-tive owners. Th e publisher is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book.

Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and author have used their best eff orts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifi cally disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fi tness for a particular purpose. It is sold on the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering professional services and neither the publisher nor the author shall be liable for damages arising herefrom. If professional advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Burke, Rory, 1952— Project management leadership : building creative teams / Rory Burke, Steve Barron.— Second edition. pages cm Includes index. ISBN 978-1-118-67401-7 (pbk.) 1. Project management. 2. Leadership. I. Barron, Steve, 1955— II. Title. HD69.P75B869 2014 658.4'04—dc23 2013046774

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978-1-118-67401-7 (pbk) ISBN 978-1-118-82541-9 (ebk)ISBN 978-1-118-82540-2 (ebk)

Set in Minion Pro 10/14 by MPS Ltd, Chennai

Printed in Great Britain by CPI Group (UK) Ltd, Croydon, CR0 4YY

http://www.wiley.com

http://booksupport.wiley.com

http://www.wiley.com

Contents

Foreword viiAuthors’ Notes ix

1 Introduction to Project Management Leadership 1 2 Project Governance and Ethics 19 3 Project Leadership BoK 29 4 Project Organization Structures 53 5 Leadership Behaviors 69 6 Leadership Th eories and Styles 81 7 Power to Infl uence 99 8 Resistance to Change 117 9 Emotional Intelligence 13110 Leadership vs. Management 14111 Working with Stakeholders 14712 Project Teams 15913 Teams vs. Groups 17714 Team Roles 19315 Team Development Phases 20916 Team-Building Techniques 22917 Coaching and Mentoring 24118 Negotiation 25519 Motivation 26520 Delegation 27921 Communication 28922 Confl ict Resolution 30323 Problem Solving 31724 Decision Making 337

Appendix – Lost at Sea 351Glossary 355Index 361

Foreword

Project management and project leadership are two sides of the same coin. Th ey are inter-linked, and need to be if a project is to be delivered on time, to budget and of the desired quality. Many project managers pay too much attention to managing and spend too little time leading. As with everything in life, fi nding the right balance is key.

Th e right balance between managing and leading comes with experience, and oft en a painful experience due to lack of awareness or desire to fi nd the right balance. For sure, both are neces-sary, but alone each is not suffi cient. To be clear I am not speaking about management and lead-ership; these are roles with specifi c activities. Such roles are occupied by people who seek to be seen as project managers or project leaders respectively. Th is attribution by others gives emphasis to followers, and the importance of how others perceive their behaviors and identities. Warren Bennis (On Becoming a Leader (1989:2) Perseus Books, Cambridge, MA) usefully captured this attribution process thus: ‘leadership, like beauty, is hard to defi ne but you know it when you see it’. To be seen as a ‘beautiful’ project leader or project manager requires that the individual pay attention to leading and managing. How the leading, or managing, is done shapes the attribution of how beautiful someone is seen to be. But here’s the thing . . . both managing and leading are processes, and such processes are learnt. Everyone has the potential to become better at leading and managing. As such, the born versus made debate is simply irrelevant. We are what we are and we can all be better. To be better requires us to think and learn about becoming better and applying such learning to test and develop such processes.

To help us further we need to clarify the diff erence between managing and leading. In a sim-ple way, managing could be considered as the process of ‘sense-making’: understanding the situation and appreciating the necessity of organizing resources to achieve objectives. Leading is more oriented toward ‘sense-giving’: helping people to understand objectives, inspiring them to achieve a higher performance through commitment to a vision and guiding them along the journey to overcoming obstacles.

V I I I F O R E W O R D

It should be clear that one without the other will simply not get the desired results. Th is book has been written with this balance clearly in mind. It is a clear and straightforward structure, which will help guide the reader toward becoming better at both project management and project lead-ership. Th e number of useful texts that try to achieve this much-needed balance, and pay clear attention to the process perspectives of project management and project leadership, are too few.

Dr Steve KempsterProfessorial Director of Leadership Development

Director of the Lancaster Leadership CentreLancaster University Management School

Authors’ Notes

Rory Burke

Project Management Leadership focuses on key project man-agement leadership principles and theories, and explains how they are used in the project environment. Th is book has been updated to enable the project management leader to lead the project team, and the project participants to achieve the project objectives, as outlined in the project charter and business case.

Project success is usually expressed as having completed the project deliverables on time, within budget and to the required quality, but, from a leadership perspective, project success might be expressed as having motivated and inspired the project team members into giving their best performance toward completing the project objectives. It is, therefore, essential that project managers understand the features and

characteristics of project leadership techniques so that they can manage the process eff ectively.

Th ere have been two major changes to the project environment in recent years, which have motivated signifi cant changes in the project manager’s leadership style, namely: the introduc-tion of project teams working within a matrix-type project organization structure; and a general increase in the workforce’s level of education, ability and expectations.

Th ese organizational changes mean that project managers might not have full line authority over the resources they need to carry out the work. Project managers must, therefore, develop nego-tiation and networking skills to enable them to obtain labor and equipment from the resource providers.

X A U T H O R S ’ N O T E S

Th e other factor motivating a change in leadership style is the improved ability of the workforce, which is now better educated, more experienced, more competent and more articulate. Th is improved competency has led to higher expectations and increasing demands, the workforce having a greater say in their working environment, and being more prepared to question their project management leader’s instructions.

Th ese two factors alone have encouraged a dramatic shift from the command and control leader-ship style of yester-year to a more participative and collaborative approach.

Project Management Leadership has been written to support courses and modules in project management and project leadership. Th e text is structured in line with the PMBOK and APM BoK, and includes plenty of examples and exercises, together with PowerPoint presentation slides for lecturers.

Writing this book has been a joint eff ort with my co-author Steve Barron. Steve has done an amazing job writing his chapters while holding down a full-time job at Lancaster University. A special thank you goes to Sandra Burke and Jan Hamon for proofreading the text.

Rory Burke

Steve Barron

In the years that have elapsed since the fi rst edition of Project Management Leadership, the need for an eff ective under-standing of leadership within project contexts seems to have increased. Th ere is even more talk about leadership having an important role for project managers, who are recognizing the need to develop leadership skills. Indeed, the nature of pro-jects as transient, unique and requiring change-related activi-ties, demands a high level of leadership practice.

It has been wonderful to receive such positive feedback from the fi rst edition. It seems to provide a useful resource for teachers who want a single source for leadership-related ideas

and methods. For many students it accomplishes the same purpose, though it is also presented as an accessible introductory text that can lead to more advanced material where necessary.

In the fi rst half of my career I worked in industry and was privileged to work with inspirational leaders such as Dr Carl Loller, Peter Beckett and Steve Wilkinson, and I want to thank them here

A U T H O R S ’ N O T E S X I

for their support and guidance; it is still very much appreciated. I was able to learn from them (and others) about leadership and adapt their style and behaviors into my own leadership style. I hope this book provides a good starting point for those embarking on this journey.

Oft en, when I am in a diffi cult situation, I think about what one of those inspirational people would do or say at this point. Th is always helps me to see the situation in a diff erent way and gives me a new approach. It is wonderful to hear their voices in my head as I imagine how they would deal with my diffi cult situation. I continue to thank Stephen Doughty, Martin Wells and Steve Kempster for providing some of those enduring voices.

Also, I need to thank Rory and Sandra Burke, my co-conspirators in this renewed endeavor. I have been delighted to work with them again and have learnt so much from both of them. Once again, I must thank Rory for his expertise, persistence and patience while we have revisited the content of this book from opposite sides of the globe.

Finally, as a teacher, I note that much of my continual learning comes from students of project management with whom I have had the honor and privilege of working over the last fi ft een years at Lancaster. I wish you all well in your future careers.

Th erefore, I want to dedicate this edition to past, present and future students of project man-agement who recognize the need for leadership skills within this challenging and rewarding vocation.

Steve BarronLancaster, August 2013

CHAPTER 1Introduction to Project Management Leadership

Learning Outcomes

After reading this chapter you should be able to:

• Recognize the portfolio of skills a project manager needs to complete projects successfully.

• Understand the leadership content of the project management body of knowledge.

Project management leadership is one of the special project management techniques that enable the project manager to lead and manage the project team, project stake-holders and other project participants. Project management leadership is a process by which a project manager can direct, guide and infl uence the behavior and work of

the project team towards accomplishing the project objectives. It is, therefore, essential that the project manager understands the characteristics and features of project management leadership to be able to apply the process eff ectively.

Th is chapter will introduce the project environment, and the relationship between project man-agement leadership and the other project management disciplines and techniques. It will indi-cate how the project lifecycle can be used to show where project leadership and its associated

CHAPTER

2 P R O J E C T M A N A G E M E N T L E A D E R S H I P

techniques can be used eff ectively as the project progresses along the lifecycle. Th is chapter will also introduce key bodies of knowledge and identify the knowledge areas relating to project management leadership and project teamwork.

Th e project manager’s challenge is to strike a balance between the appropriate type of leadership skills and styles, and the level of project management systems – both are required for project success.

How to Use This Book

Th is book will subdivide Project Management Leadership into a number of sections for ease of presentation and understanding.

Th e fi rst part introduces the leadership skills and styles that form the backbone of project leadership:

• Project governance and ethics.• Project leadership BoK.• Project organization structures.• Leadership behavior.• Leadership styles.• Power to infl uence.• Resistance to change.• Emotional intelligence.• Leadership vs. management. • Working with stakeholders.

Th e second part introduces project teams and shows how to select, build and lead a project team:

• Project teams.• Teams vs. groups.• Team roles.• Team development phases.• Team-building techniques.• Coaching and mentoring.

Th e third part groups a number of key related topics that underpin the project leader’s competence:

• Negotiation skills.• Motivation.

I N T R O D U C T I O N T O P R O J E C T M A N A G E M E N T L E A D E R S H I P 3

• Delegation.• Communication. • Confl ict resolution.• Problem solving.• Decision making.• Facilitation for project leaders.• Knowledge management.


1. History of Project Management

Th e history of modern-day project management leadership can be dated back to the 1950s when a number of companies started appointing one person to manage their projects (see Table 1.1). Th is particularly applied to multi-disciplined projects in remote locations.

Table 1.1: History of Project Management – shows the emphasis is now on project management leadership

1950s In the 50s the project management leader’s position was established as the single point of

responsibility with autonomous authority over a pool of resources. This change enabled com-

plex projects in remote locations to be led and managed by a person on the ground.

1960s In the 60s nearly all of the special planning, control techniques and project management pro-

cesses we use today were developed on military and aerospace projects. This included PERT,

CPM, matrix organization structures, scope management, confi guration management and

earned value. The matrix organization structure was found to be particularly suited to manag-

ing multi-disciplined projects.

1970s In the 70s the emphasis of the project lifecycle progressively moved from the implementation phase

(where most of the resources were used) to the front-end design and development phase, which had

the greatest potential for adding value and the least amount of cost for making changes.

1980s In the 80s the development of the PC and project management software revolutionized plan-

ning and control calculations. Because a common database was used, it forced functional

departments to share information. This sharing of information was one of the most signifi cant

changes because it integrated the departments and moved the planning and control of informa-

tion into the project offi ce.

1990s In the 90s large companies started to adopt a management-by-projects approach through a

Project Management Offi ce (PMO). This enabled the PMO to act as a center of excellence for

project management leadership.

2000s With each passing decade the emphasis and focus on project management leadership has

been infl uenced by the project environment (facilities, types of projects and education). The

focus is on understanding how people are involved in projects and how issues such as uncer-

tainty and ambiguity make projects into complex situations. As a result, there is a growing

need for project management leadership skills – hence the purpose of this book is to introduce

the latest project leadership tools and techniques used to manage successful projects.


2. Project Manager’s Portfolio of Skills

Projects are not performed in a vacuum; they are infl uenced by a wide range of internal and exter-nal factors, constraints and stakeholders. Th e project management leader will need to consider the wider aspects of the project environment to fully appreciate what topics are included and how they are inter-related, and, just as importantly, what topics are excluded and why. Managing projects requires a diverse range of skills and abilities; consider the following breakdown and refer to Table 1.2.

Technical Management Skills: Th e project management leader’s technical management skills include the technical skills and product knowledge required to design and manufacture the product or project. Every profession has its own unique range of subject-related technical skills and competencies, which are required to perform the work.

Table 1.2: Project Management Leader’s Portfolio of Skills – shows the project management leader’s

portfolio of skills subdivided into technical management, project entrepreneurship, project management and

project leadership

Project Management Leadership

Technical ManagementProject Entrepreneurship Project Management

Project Leadership

The project manager needs

technical skills, together

with product knowledge, to

design and make the project

or product. The focus is on

solving technical problems,

design solutions and design

confi guration arrangements.

The project manager

needs entrepreneurial skills to spot and

exploit marketable

opportunities, to fi nd

innovative solutions

to company problems,

together with network-

ing skills, to communi-

cate with a wide range

of useful contacts and

stakeholders.

The project manager

needs project manage-ment skills to set up the

project management sys-

tem, which will help plan

and control the project

throughout the project’s

lifecycle. The focus is on

achieving the objectives

outlined in the project

charter.

The project man-

ager needs project leadership skills

to infl uence and

lead the project

participants,

together with a

vision, strategy and

determination to

drive the project.

The focus is on

facilitation, nego-

tiation, infl uencing,

networking and

communication.

Technical skills

Competency

Product knowledge

Spot opportunities

Solve problems

Networking

Project charter

Scope management

Planning and control

system

Vision

Values

Strategy


Technical management skills are responsible for the functioning of a project and, therefore, are a key part of confi guration management and scope management, which includes the project feasibility study, build method and scope changes.

On smaller projects the project management leader might be expected to be the technical expert as well as the manager and leader of the project. In fact, early on in a person’s career they probably will not be appointed as project manager unless they are a technical expert in the fi eld of the project. But as projects increase in size, so will the size of the project team and project organization struc-ture. In which case, the project management leader will become progressively less involved in tech-nical issues and more involved in managing and leading the project team and project participants.

Project Entrepreneurship Skills: It is important to include the project management leader’s project entrepreneurship skills of spotting opportunities, inventing new products, solving chal-lenging problems, making decisions and accepting the associated risks, because these are the triggers that exploit opportunities and initiate new ventures and new projects. One could argue that without entrepreneurial skills the status quo would rule and there would be no new projects!

Th e project management leader can also benefi t from entrepreneurial skills during the execu-tion of the project because, as the project moves forward, there will be better information on the latest technology, better information on the market conditions and, most importantly, the latest information on the competition’s products and pricing strategy. With entrepreneurial skills the project management leader will be able to incorporate the latest technology into the project’s confi guration, tailor the project to appeal to the target market and enhance the project to main-tain the company’s competitive advantage.

Project Management Skills: Th e project management leader’s project management skills are required to set up and run a project management system, which will help plan and control the project. Th e project management system is the backbone of the planning and control process, which might need to be tailored to meet the needs of the project sponsor, the needs of the project and the needs of the stakeholders (particularly the project team, contractors and suppliers).

As projects grow in size, so the information and communication fl ows will grow exponentially. Th e project, therefore, needs an integrated system to issue instructions, monitor progress, pro-cess progress data, forecast and report performance. Without an eff ective system the information overload will lead to chaos.

Th e project manager will also benefi t from conceptual skills and the ability to think analyti-cally, break down problems into smaller parts (WBS), recognize the logical relationships between activities (CPM) and the implications between any one problem and another (interfaces), deal with ambiguous situations (risks) and change management skills.


Project Leadership Skills: Th e project management leader’s project leadership skills are the driving force behind the project, where the project leader is enthusiastically communicating the vision, outlining the strategy and empowering and inspiring the project participants. As the single point of responsibility, the project leader is responsible for coordinating the input from all stakeholders and addressing their needs and expectations. Th e sources of the following defi ni-tions are explained in the next section.

PMBOK (PMI) defi nes Leadership as: Developing a vision and strategy, and motivating people towards achieving that vision and strategy.

Th e APM BoK defi nes Leadership as: Th e ability to establish vision and direction, to infl uence and align others towards a common purpose, and to empower and inspire people towards achieving project success. It enables the project to proceed in an environment of change and uncertainty.

If the project is using a matrix-type organization structure, the project leader might not have formal authority over the resources required to complete the project. In this situation, the pro-ject leader needs to develop infl uencing and negotiation skills to secure the best deals with the resource providers.

It is the project leader who needs to ensure that the project has the RIGHT people to do the job, that everyone CAN do their job, and then ensure that everyone IS doing their job. To achieve these leadership objectives the project leader will need a range of leadership skills: team selec-tion, team building, training, coaching, mentoring, delegation, motivation and performance monitoring and evaluation.

Th e project leadership skills, in some respects, form a catch-all situation, where the project leader is responsible for ensuring all of the management skills work together (technical, entrepreneurial and managerial).


3. Project Management Body of Knowledge

As the discipline of project management has grown and become established, so a number of insti-tutions and associations have been formed to represent the project management practitioners, with respect to education, professional accreditation, ethics and maintaining a body of knowledge.

Th e purpose of having a body of knowledge is to identify and describe best practices that are applicable to most projects most of the time, for which there is widespread consensus regarding their value and usefulness. Th is body of knowledge is also intended to provide a common lexicon and terminology within the profession of project management – nationally and internationally. As a developing international profession there is still a need to converge on a common set of terms.

Th ere are a number of institutions, associations and government bodies that have produced, for example, a body of knowledge, unit standards and/or competency standards. Th e two that will be referred to in this book are the:

• Project Management Institute (PMI). • Association for Project Management (APM).

Th e PMBOK (PMI) defi nes a body of knowledge as: An inclusive term that describes the sum of knowledge within the profession . . . and rests with the practitioners and academics that apply and advance it.

Th e PMI Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) is one of the cornerstones of pro-ject management, so it is important to look at this body of knowledge in order to investigate the knowledge areas included within project management. Th e PMBOK (PMI) subdivides project management into ten knowledge areas (see Table 1.3).

Table 1.3: (PMI) PMBOK Knowledge Areas – shows the body of knowledge subdivided into ten

knowledge areas

Project Scope Management

Project scope management includes the processes required to ensure that the project

includes all of the work, and only the work, needed to complete the project success-

fully. It is primarily concerned with defi ning and controlling what is and what is not

included in the project, thus meeting the project sponsors’ and project stakeholders’

goals and objectives. It consists of authorization, scope planning, scope defi nition,

scope change management and scope verifi cation.

Project Time Management

Project time management includes the process required to ensure timely performance

of the project. It consists of activity defi nition, activity sequencing, duration estimat-

ing, establishing the calendar, schedule development and time control.


Project Cost Management

Project cost management includes the process required to ensure that the project is

completed within the approved budget. It consists of resource planning, cost estimat-

ing, cost budgeting, cash fl ow and cost control.

Project Quality Management

Project quality management includes the process required to ensure that the project will

satisfy the needs for which it was undertaken. It consists of determining the required con-

dition, quality planning, quality assurance, quality control and continuous improvement.

Human Resource Management

Human resource management includes the process required to make the most effec-

tive use of the people involved with the project. It consists of organization planning,

staff acquisition and team development.

Project Communications Management

Project communications management includes the process required to ensure proper

collection and dissemination of project information. It consists of communication

planning, information distribution, project meetings, progress reporting, document

control and administrative closure.

Project Risk Management

Project risk management includes the process concerned with identifying, analyzing

and responding to project risk. It consists of risk identifi cation, risk quantifi cation and

impact, response development and risk control.

Project Procurement Management

Project procurement management includes the process required to acquire goods

and services from outside the performing project team or organization. It consists of

procurement planning, solicitation planning, solicitation, source selection, contract

administration and contract closeout.

Project Integration Management

Project integration management integrates the three main project management

processes of planning, execution and control, where inputs from several knowledge

areas are brought together.

Project Stakeholder Management

Project stakeholder management includes the processes and activities that enable the

project manager to ensure that the needs and expectations of the project stakehold-

ers and interested parties are being addressed.

Table 1.3 (Continued)

Th e (PMI) PMBOK does not include a special knowledge area for ‘project leadership’ but, of its ten knowledge areas, there are three knowledge areas that focus on the human factors of project management, namely: human resource management, project communication management and project stakeholder management.

3.1 Human Resource Management

Th e (PMI) PMBOK defi nes project Human Resource Management as: Th e process required to make the most eff ective use of the people involved with the project. It consists of organization planning, staff acquisition and team development.

1 0 P R O J E C T M A N A G E M E N T L E A D E R S H I P

Human resource management is divided into four sections (see Table 1.4). Th e right-hand col-umn of the table indicates the chapters where these topics are discussed.

Th e human resource management knowledge area focuses on the roles, responsibilities and reporting structures within the project organization structure and the project team. It also includes creating the project team, designing the team, team roles and recruitment. Th e next area focuses on team development, which will be discussed in this book as forming, storming, norming and performing, together with team-building techniques (indoor and outdoor). Th e last section on managing and leading the team focuses on resistance to change and confl ict resolution.

3.2 Project Communication Management Project communication and networking skills are the life blood of project management leader-ship and therefore a key knowledge area.

Th e (PMI) PMBOK defi nes Project Communication Management as: Th e process required to ensure proper collection and dissemination of project information. It consists of communication planning, information distribution, project meetings, progress reporting and administrative closure.

The (PMI) PMBOK subdivides project communication management into three sections (see Table 1.5). The right-hand column of the table indicates the chapters where these topics are discussed.

Table 1.4: The Four Knowledge Areas Involved in Human Resource Management

Knowledge Area TopicsTopic Covered in these Chapters

Plan Human Resource Management

Identifying and documenting project roles,

responsibilities and reporting relationships, as

well as creating the staffi ng management plan.

4 – Project Organization

Structures

12 – Project Teams

Acquire Project Team Obtaining the human resources needed to com-

plete the project.

14 – Team Roles

Develop Project Team

Improving the competencies and interac-

tion of team members to enhance project

performance.

15 – Team Development Phases

16 – Team Building Techniques

Manage Project Team

Tracking team member performance, providing

feedback, resolving issues and coordinating

changes to enhance project performance.

12 – Project Teams

22 – Confl ict Resolution

I N T R O D U C T I O N T O P R O J E C T M A N A G E M E N T L E A D E R S H I P 1 1

Table 1.5: The Three Knowledge Areas Involved in Project Communication Management


Plan CommunicationsManagement

Determining the information and communica-

tion needs of the project stakeholders.

11 – Working with Stakeholders

Manage Communications

Making necessary information available to

project stakeholders in a timely manner.

21 – Communication

Control Communications

Collecting and distributing performance infor-

mation. This includes status reports, progress

measurements and forecasting.


Table 1.6: The Four Knowledge Areas Involved in Project Stakeholder Management


Identify Stakeholders Identify who is impacted by the project and

who has an impact on the project.


Plan Stakeholder Management

Plan how to determine and manage the

stakeholders’ needs and expectations.


Manage Stakeholder Engagement

Engage with the stakeholders and encourage

them to be involved in the project’s decision-

making process.


Control Stakeholder Engagement

Monitor and control the stakeholder

engagement.


Th e communication knowledge area focuses on developing the project’s lines of communication and content (who, what and when). It then considers how to communicate the information (doc-ument control). Th e next area discusses methods of reporting project progress and forecasting. Th e last area focuses on keeping the stakeholders informed and resolving any confl icting issues.

3.3 Project Stakeholder ManagementFor a project to be successful it is critical that the project’s stakeholders are identifi ed and their needs and expectations assessed so that a leadership plan can be developed. Project stakeholder management is subdivided into four sections (see Table 1.6).

Th is new knowledge area recognizes that stakeholder management is more than just assessing needs and expectations – there must also be an appropriate level of engagement with the stake-holders so that they can be involved in the project activities and the decision-making process.


3.4 APM BoKTh e APM BoK 6ed (2012) subdivides project management into four main sections to provide a fl exible toolkit from which to select the most appropriate management approach:

ContextPeopleDeliveryInterfaces

Th is book focuses on the ‘People’ section, which is ultimately about motivating and coordinating people into achieving the project objectives. To achieve the project objectives, as outlined in the project charter, the project management leader needs various interpersonal skills to be able to interact with other people. Th ese are outlined in the knowledge areas shown in Table 1.7.

Table 1.7: APM BoK 6ed – shows the APM BoK’s people knowledge areas

Knowledge Areas Topics

Topic Covered in these Chapters

Leadership 1 To establish a vision and direction for the project

team to follow.

3 – Project Leadership BoK

Leadership 2 To align the project team to a common purpose. 12 – Project Teams

Leadership 3 To empower and inspire the project team to give its

best performance.

3 – Project Leadership BoK

Leadership 4 To infl uence the stakeholders. 11 – Working with Stakeholders

Communication To establish the lines of communication as the

means by which project information and instructions

are exchanged.


Confl ict To identify and address the differences between two

parties.

22 – Confl ict Resolution

Delegation To give a person the responsibility to act on behalf of

the project manager.

20 – Delegation

Power to Infl uence

To infl uence the behavior and actions of others in

order to achieve the project objectives.

7 – Power to Infl uence

Negotiation To reach a mutual agreement between two parties. 18 – Negotiation

Teamwork To guide the project team into working in collabora-

tion and cooperation towards a common goal.

16 – Team-Building Techniques

15 – Team Development Phases

Ethics To establish an ethical framework that sets recog-

nized standards of conduct and behavior.

2 – Project Governance and

Ethics


Table 1.8: Differences between Transactional Leaders and Transformational Leaders

Project Leadership

Transactional Leaders Transformational Leaders

Transactional leaders ensure that requirements are agreed

upon and that the rewards and penalties for achievement,

or lack of it, are understood. Transactional leadership is an

exchange process to do with setting objectives and plans:

‘do this and you will be rewarded thus’.

Transformational leaders do everything possible

to help people succeed in their own right and

become leaders themselves. They help those

people to transform themselves and achieve more

than was intended or even thought possible.

Transactional leaders use the traditional project manage-

ment approach of motivating the project team members to

achieve expected levels of performance by helping them to:

• Recognize task responsibilities.

• Identify goals.

• Develop confi dence in meeting desired performance levels.

Transformational leaders are visionary leaders

who:

• Have a vision for the future which excites and

converts potential followers.

• Try to convince others of their vision and direction.

• Are always visible and act as a role model.

• Understand how their needs and the rewards they desire

are linked to goal achievement.

Transactional leaders develop structures that clarify what

is required of the team members. These leaders reward

team members who follow their instructions. However,

when things go wrong the team members are considered

to be personally at fault, and are punished for their failure.

This approach emphasizes getting things done within

the umbrella of the rules and doing everything as per the

instructions. As such, this approach is more commonly

seen in large, bureaucratic organizations where political

considerations are part of daily life.

• Are continually motivating and rallying their

followers.

• Are constantly doing the rounds, listening,

smoothing and enthusing.

This participative approach enables project

leaders to encourage the team members to

be part of the process and inspire them to go

beyond their task requirements.

Th e APM BoK defi nes interpersonal skills as the means by which people relate to, and interact with, other people. Th erefore, project sponsors, project management leaders and team members need to understand how to apply interpersonal skills. Th ey must know the limits of their own ability and ensure that they are constantly reassessing their strengths and weaknesses so that they can strive to achieve their full potential.

Th e APM BoK encourages a broad understanding of the main leadership styles (certainly the styles covered in this book) together with the simple approach of understanding the diff erences between transactional leaders and transformational leaders (see Table 1.8).


4. Project Lifecycle

Th e project lifecycle (see Tables 1.9a and 1.9b) is introduced here in the fi rst chapter because it will be used extensively throughout this book to show how diff erent leadership parameters change over the diff erent phases.

Table 1.9a: Project Lifecycle – shows the fi rst part of a ten-phase lifecycle from corporate vision to project

disposal

Corporate Vision and Values Phase

Corporate Req-uirements Phase

Business Case Phase

Project Feasibility Study Phase

Project Defi nition Phase

The corporate vision

and values phase

establishes the

corporate vision

and values, which

outline the purpose

and long-term aims

of the company,

together with details

of the company’s

culture, philosophy

and the way the

company intends to

do business.

The corporate

requirements phase

investigates what

the company needs

to do to maintain

competitive advan-

tage and stay in

business, and

what opportuni-

ties the company

could exploit to

help achieve its

long-term corporate

objectives.

The business case

phase outlines corpo-

rate strategy, which

includes how to solve

corporate problems,

requirements and

opportunities, by set-

ting forth a number

of proposals. The

business case seeks

to justify the use of

company resources

when pursuing each

course of action.

The feasibility study

phase assesses the

business case in

order to confi rm it is

feasible to manufac-

ture and implement

within the identi-

fi ed constraints. It

confi rms how well

the business case(s)

addresses the cli-

ent’s requirements

and aligns with the

corporate vision.

The project defi ni-

tion phase uses the

guidelines from the

feasibility study to

design the project,

outline the build

method and develop

detailed schedules

and plans (baseline

plan) for all the

knowledge area top-

ics that are required

to make the project.

Output:Corporate vision and

values statement

Output:Corporate

requirements

Output:Business case

Output:Feasibility study

report

Output:Project design and

project plan

Th e project lifecycle structure will be used in this book to subdivide project leadership and responsibility by project phase. Th is is a logical approach because, by defi nition, each phase pro-duces a diff erent set of deliverables and, therefore, one would assume each phase would require a diff erent set of skills and a diff erent type of team requiring a diff erent style of leadership.


Table 1.9b: Project Lifecycle – shows the second part of a ten-phase lifecycle from corporate vision to

project disposal

Project Execution Phase

Project Commissioning and Handover Phase

Operation Startup Phase

Project Upgrade Phase

Project Disposal Phase

The project execu-

tion phase uses the

design and project

plan from the defi ni-

tion phase to make

the project.

An execution strat-

egy is developed

to strike a balance

between making

the project, using

corporate resources

and outsourcing.

The project commission-

ing and handover phase

inspects and confi rms

that the project has been

made to the approved

design, then hands over

the project to the client

for operation.

The operational

startup phase

implements the

new facility, prod-

uct or service into

the operational

environment.

It is the project

sponsor’s respon-

sibility to ensure

that the operation

of the project real-

izes benefi ts for the

client organization.

From the client’s

perspective this is

the main purpose

of the project.

The half-life

upgrade phase

incorporates the

latest technol-

ogy, systems and

fashions to keep

the project running

effi ciently and

competitively.

The disposal

phase brings

the project to a

formal closure

by dismantling

the facility and

restoring the

environment

to its original

state.

Output:Certifi cate of

completion

Output:Project closeout report

Output:Business case clo-

seout report

Output:Upgrade closeout

report

Output:Disposal closeout

Th e project lifecycle structure interlinks the project phases by a common thread to ensure that all aspects of the project refer back to the corporate vision and requirements. Th is particularly applies to governance and ethics, which outline how the company intends to do business and ensure that the project risks are within the acceptable corporate level of risk.


5. Project Management Leadership

Th is fi rst chapter has made a point of highlighting that the project manager needs a portfolio of technical, managerial, leadership and entrepreneurial skills – it is not a case of one skill being more important than the others. Figure 1.1 shows it is essential that the project manager is competent in all four areas – technical skills, project management skills (including project systems), project leadership and project entrepreneurship – in order for the project to be a success.

Figure 1.1 shows that the project manager needs technical skills, project management skills, project leadership skills and entrepreneurship skills to be eff ective. Th e circles are drawn of equal size, implying that they are of equal importance.

From the start it should be recognized that project management skills and project leadership skills go hand-in-hand – you cannot have one without the other; they are like links in a chain. It might be argued that one skill is more important than another at certain times in the project but, for a project to be managed successfully from start to fi nish, the project manager must be profi cient in both sets of skills.

A person does not suddenly become a project manager. It is likely that they will specialize in a technical fi eld but, with experience and technical ability, they will be appointed to manage a project team and manage a project. Th e transition from project manager to project leader requires the

Technical

Skillls

Entrepreneurial

Skills

Project

Management

Skills

Project

Leadership

Skills

Pro ject Env ironm ent

New

Tec h

no

log

yMa

rke

t

Co m p etition

Figure 1.1: Intersecting Skills

Documents

PROJECT LEADERSHIP · Project success is usually expressed as having completed the project deliverables on time, within budget and to the required quality, but, from a leadership